Forming mechanism for flat can bodies



July 9, 1935.. N. TROYER ET AL FORMING MECHANISM FOR FLAT CAN BODIES Filed March 18, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 NELSo /$0951? NERTON 1.. 00065 ATTORNEY y 9, 1935. N. TROYER ET,AL 2,00%M

FORMING MECHANISM FOR FLAT CAN BODIES Filed March 18, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y/VEAVUN L, D0065 ATTORNEY July 9, 1935. N. TRQYER ET AL 1 FORMING' MECHANI$M FOR FLAT CAN BODIES Filed March 18, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet :s

I IN VENT 0R} IVE/.50 7/ e0YEz NEETON ZI. DODGE 0 BY W A TTORNE Y July 9, 1935. N. TROYER El AL 2,007,511

' FORMING MECHANISM FORFLAT CAN BODIES Filed March 18, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lNVENTORfi NEL 50h TROYfE IVE/F70 L DODGE BY 7 ATI'O NEY Patented July 9, 1935 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE FORMING MECHANISM FOR FLAT CAN BODIES Nelson Troyer and Merton L. Dodge, Seattle,

Wash., assignors to Continental Can Company, IYnciI New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Application March 18, 1932, Serial No. 599,821

10 Claims. (01. 113-8) This invention relates to can makin m ne ther objects of the invention reside in the doand more particularly to machines of that chartails of construction of the parts of the horn, and acter known in the art as body makers whereof the clamp devices and in their mode of operaby the body blanks are notched, edged and finally tion, as will hereinafter be fully described.

their ends joined together in a tightly closed In accomplishing these and other objects of the 5 seam. invention we have provided the improved details Explanatory to the invention it will be stated of construction, the preferred forms of which are that it has become the practice of can manuiacshown in the accompanying drawings, h tu s in in insta t ma a d es Figure 1 is a vertical section taken in the conflat in Orde to nserve space in packed shiptral vertical longitudinal plane of a body maker, 10 ments of the bodies'and thus to lessen freight illustrating the mechanism of the present invenor transportation s this being sp al y t u tion as associated with parts of the body maker. where large shipments are made by water such as Figure 2 is a plan view of the body blank between cities of the United States and points in feed mechanism.

Alaska. Heretofore it has been the practice for Figure 3 is an a ed c oss Section take such cases to initially make the can bodies in Substantially 0n the 11116 3 i gure their final cylindrical form, then to flatten them Figure 4 is a P View diagrammatically for packing and shipment and subsequently, t lustrating the location of various parts of the the point of use to f rm them and app1y t present mechanism especially with reference to ends and covers thereto. While the present ing gg connections of the driving mecha' 20 tili fis ett fiiifiififitlfittfiitiifiififii 5 an of covers applied thereto and be used commercially fommg Wmg clamps Wlth then actuwithout any further shaping or reforming after connetitlons' i they leave the body maker, it is primarily intended Fure IS an nlarged or top of 25 to spread or open the flat formed bodies out to the f part bemg broken away give greater capacity thereto. Therefore, the gist .better lllustr atlon' of this invention resides in the provision of Flgures 9 are cross sfactlonal Views mechanism for the manufacture of flat can bodies of the 1.10m snowing thg SuCCGFSWeopgratlqns which are adapted to be opened or spread for g zgg g a body blank about It and chnchmg 30 the application of ends and covers thereto thus to eliminate the step in the procedure as hereto: Referrmg more. m (16453111 to the drawmgs fore practiced of flattening the cylindrical body In the present illustration we have'shown only after formation and preparatory to shipment. those parts of i body machme that a thought Itis also an object of this invention to propecessgry to a clear understandmg of 35 vide mechanism for the above stated pu p t Y q herem 01mm? d which i is Capable. of high speed manufacture of can chiefly in the construction and relationship of bodies, and whereby the bending of the blanks the formmg horn and clamp dev1cs for in the initial formation of the body is smoothly the can bodles to w In thls Partlcu? 40 and. evenly done so that, in the subsequent final type of body. maichme the can bOdY. forming 40 shaping, no kinks, creases or oth bends will be blanks are successively fed to the machine atone noticeable on the body Walls end and are intermittently advanced successive- Another object is to provide a novel form of 1y, by i actiol? of reciprocatillg feed barsg to clamping mechanism whereby the body blanks are the Varlous Statlons along a swat/Way provldedshaped to one surface of the forming horn withbetween parallel hOu1ngS- The Planks 45 out leaving any looseness or slack in the material move past certam devlces adJaCeDt t guldewa'y that might result in kinking or creasing when Whith Operate thereon durlng thelr successllfe the wing clamps finally come into play for hookperiods of rest to notch, flange and hook their mg h ends f theblanks together. edges. Finally the blanks are delivered to the Another object of the invention is to provide ap horn a d a t W app d d a d 50 novel features of construction in the wing clamps EJ061113 p p y y t ct thereagalnst whereby the ends of the blanks will be bent of a p f W e l ps so ha their fl n d, smoothly and tightly about the opposite side edges or hooked ends are overlapped, then interlocked of the horn and all slack taken out of these porand finally bumped to close the scam; the mechtions preparatory to joining their ends. anism used being of that character disclosed in 55 the prior United States patent issued to Nelson Troyer under Serial No. 1,543,460 on June 23, 1925.

In the present illustration l designates the substantially fiat forming horn about which the body blanks 2 are wrapped to shape them in body form and 3-3 designates the reciprocally actuated feed bars which advance the blanks. These bars are equipped at regular intervals with pushers 3' on their top edges which, on each forward reciprocal movement of the bars, engage with the rear edges of the blanks to push them forwardly from one station to the next one, thus to advance each blank successively to the notching and fianging stations and finally to the forming horn.

As here shown, the feed bars 3-3 are actuated through connection by a cross head 4 with a slide 40. mounted for reciprocal movement on a supporting bar 5 which extends horizontally and centrally beneath the guideway and terminates flush with the top edge of the horn; this bar serving as a central support for the body blanks as they are advanced to the horn.

A yoke like frame portion 6 of the machine, as seen in Figure 3, symmetrically overlies the forming horn and fixed centrally to this yoke is. a downwardly extended bracket 7 having a hardened bar 8 set therein centrally and longitudinally overlying the axis of the horn and serving as an abutment for sustaining the horn when the bumper is driven against it for closing the seam of the body, as presently described.

The body blanks 2, when advanced to the horn are positioned beneath the bar 8; the horn at that time being spaced slightly from the bar to give suflicient clearance for reception of the body blank, then the horn is shifted upwardly and clamped tightly against the blank to hold it againstv any possible slippage or misalignment during the body shaping and seam closing operations.

The forming horn is rigidly supported from the upper end portion of the slide 10 that is mounted, for a definite although slight vertical movement, in a guideway II that is provided in a supporting bracket I2, the bracket, as seen in Figure 1, being fixed rigidly within the frame of the machine. Inthe lower end portion of the slide is a vertical bore l3 within which an extension piece I4 is slidably fitted. At its upper end this piece is equipped with an adjusting bolt 16 that is threaded therein with the head portion Ilia. of the bolt bearing against the fiat base of an opening I! that is provided in the block, and into which the upper end of the bore l3 opens. A hollow plug I8 is adjustably threaded into a hole 19 formed in the lower end of the bracket in alignment with the bore l3, and is held by a lock nut 20. A coiled spring 2| is seated in the plug and bears upwardly against the lower end of the extension piece it to urge the latter upwardly and to thereby shift the slide l0 and horn I upwardly for the purpose of clamping the body blanks between the horn and the bar 8 as they successively are advanced to forming position.

Formed in the frame of the machine, and beneath the horn is a guideway 24 in which a bumper 25 is reciprocally contained; the bumper being connected by a pitman 26 with an eccentric 2T on a rotatably driven cross shaft 28 so that, incident to the rotation of the shaft, the bumper will be driven upwardly against the horn for closing the seam of the can.

In the construction as shown in Figure l the slide 4a is operatively connected by means of a link 28 with the upper end of an oscillating lever 29 fixed on a supporting cross shaft 30; this shaft having a downwardly extending lever arm 3| fixed thereto and operatively connected by a rod 32 with an eccentric 33 at one end of the shaft 28. Thus the feed slides are caused to reciprocate in proper timing with action of the bumper.

After each can body blank 2 has been advanced by the reciprocal action of the feed bars past the notching and hook forming devices to a position overlying the horn, as indicated at 20: in Figure 1, it is then clamped tightly against the horn preparatory to bending the end portions of the blank downwardly about the opposite side edges of the horn and then inwardly beneath it. The horn which is substantially flat as seen best in Figure 5, is horizontally mounted. The horn also is somewhat thicker along its central portion than at the side edges which are thin and smoothly rounded. This shape makes it necessary in forming the bod, that instead of clamping the blank only along the center portion, as in the machine of the Troyer patent above referred to, the entire surface overlying the horn must be clamped down tightly against the horn to prevent any possible buckling when the wingv clamps are subsequently brought into play to fold the blank over the edges of the horn.

As illustrated best in Figure 5, the clamp mechanism for holding the body blank tightly against the top surface of the horn comprises an inverted U-shaped yoke 35 which is vertically slidable upon a guideway 36 provided therefor in the bracket 1. The lower end portions of this yoke are formed with outwardly directed feet orflanges 35a which are adapted, when the yoke is moved downwardly, to clamp tightly against the flat surface of. the blank to press it tightly against the horn as shown in Figure 5. These flanges of the yoke extend outwardly to positions substantially even with the edges of the horn. The movement of the clamping yoke. 35 is effected through a certain connection with the wing clamp actuating devices and will presently be more. fully described.

After a body blank has been advanced to the horn and has been clamped against the top surface of the horn, the opposite end portions of the blank, which extend beyond the opposite side edges of the horn, are then bent downwardly and then inwardly so that their end hooks will be brought into overlapped relationship. This bending of the blank is accomplished by the downward closing movement of a. pair of wing clamps 43-40 which are pivotally supported fromthe bracket 1 by pivot pins 4| and are adapted to be swingingly actuated between open and closed positions by operative connections with rotatable, driven shaft 42-42 that are mounted to extend along the opposite sides of the machine. These connections, as best shown in Figures. 3 and 5, comprise two levers, 43-43 with their outer end pivotally attached as at 44-44 to the frame yoke 6, and at their inner ends are connected by link 45-45 with thawing clamps. Rods 46-46 connect the levers 43-43 at points intermediate their ends with eccentrics. 41-41 on the ends of the shafts 42-42 so that as the latter rotate.

the wing clampsare caused to swing between open and closed positions with respect to the horn.

As shown in Figure 4, the two shafts 42-42 are driven by suitable sets of gearing 48 from a cross shaft 49 which in turn has a geared connection as at 50 with a main drive shaft 5| extended along one side of the machine. This drive shaft also has a gear connected as at 52 with the cross shaft 28, and the several connections are so arranged that the feed bars, horn, wing clamps and bumper all will operate in synchronism.

The means for moving the forming horn toward and away from the clamping bar 8 is shown in Figure 1 wherein 55 designates a horizontally disposed, rotatably mounted cross shaft supporting a sleeve 56 provided at one end with a laterally extended arm 51 which, at its end rests upon the base of an opening 58 provided in the extension member M. t the other end of the sleeve is a downwardly extended lever arm 59 provided with a roller 633 at its end arranged for" rolling contact with a cam (it that is fixed on the drive shaft 28. A spring pressed plunger 63 is mounted in a guide block 64 fixed to the machine frame to bear against lever 59 to retain the roller against the cam which is so formed that its rotating action causes oscillating movement of the levers and this in turn causes the horn mounting slide l0 first to be pulled down against the sustaining force of the spring 2!, coincident with each advance movement of the feed bars, thereby to shift the horn downwardly to give the necessary clearance to permit a formed can body to be pushed from the horn and an oncoming blank to be advanced to position between the horn and clamp bar 8, then as the cam relieves the slide, the horn is moved up and clamps the blank against the bar 8 and holds it securely in place while the wing clamps ill-49 swing down to form the blank about the horn.

In its present form of construction the horn l is formed lengthwise thereof within its top side with a groove or slot 68 in which a slide bar 6! is reciprocally contained; this bar being connected at its inner end to the feed slide 411. In its top edge the slide 69 is provided with downwardly yieldable pushers 3a whereby the formed bodies are pushed from the horn.

Formed centrally in thebottom surface of the horn, lengthwise thereof, is a groove 70 in which a hardened bar H is fitted; this bar being longit-udinally grooved in its under side, as at 72, to receive the seam of the joined ends of the body blank when they are clinched by the action thereagainst of the bumper.

In one side edge of the horn is a longitudinal slot 15 in which an expander plate 16 is contained. This plate is permitted a slight movement inwardly and outwardly with respect to the axis of the horn. It is provided medially at inner edge, with an extension 1'! (see Figure 6) the ends of which slidably abut against stops l8 and 19 to hold the piece against endwise movement. A leaf spring 89 is contained within a slot 8| in the extension part and this spring bears at its ends against studs 8282 and at its center bears inwardly against the inner slot wall to thereby yieldingly urge the expander plate inwardly. The outer longitudinal edge of this expander plate extends beyond the edge of the horn body, and it has a smoothly rounded outer edge as at 84 corresponding in shape to the rounded opposite side edge 84 of the horn and it isabout these rounded edges that the body blanks are bent downwardly and then inwardly for joining their ends.

It will be observed, by reference to Figure 5, that each blank has oppositely bent hooks 85--86 at its ends, and when these ends are overlapped, the hooks are in position to engage each other in a holding connection incident to expanding of the horn.

.To expand the horn we have provided the expander'bar 5i] which is slidably mounted within the base of the slot T5 back of the expander plate it. The bar-9E3 is connected with the feed slide la .to cause it to move reciprocally with the feed slides 3. This bar is provided with three parallel equally offset surfaces 9l,9293 spaced longitudinally of the bar. Rollers 94 and 95 are fitted in the horn against the opposite ends of the expander plate and are held in place between the stops l8 and other stops 98 spaced therefor. The arrangement of the rollers is such that, when .the'bar W is extended to its limit, as to the dotted line. position BE! in Figure 6, the two rollers are in contact with the bar edge surfaces 9| and 92 and the expander plate It is permitted to move inwardly to its limit. Then with each inward;

reciprocal movement of the feed slides, after they have advanced a blank to the horn, and after the wing clamps have formed the blank ends about 20 the horn and the ends thereof have been over-' lapped, the expander bar moves inwardly to the full line position and the rollers are caused to ride upon the outwardly offset surfaces 92 and 93 of the expander bar, and thus they push the expander plate outwardly. This outward movement of the plate '56 causes an increase in the effective width of the horn to expand the can body and cause the end hooks of the blank to interlock. Immediately following this engaging of ie hooks, the bumper is actuated upwardly against the seam to tightly close it, and to press it into the groove 72 of the plate H so that it will be onthe inside of the can body.

Each of the wing clamps 40-40, as seen in Figure 5, comprises an upper frame portion 580; arranged to swing pivotally on its pivot 4!. At its outer end, each frame has short inturned parts 580 within which clamp shoes 98 are pivotally mounted by pins 99.

These shoes have lever portions I68 extended.

upwardly beyond the pivots 99 and coiled springs ltl are placed between these extensions and spring mounting abutments ill? on the frames lila to urge the lower ends of the shoes inwardly.

However, the inward movement of the shoes is provided at their ends with forming plates llfi with perfectly true edges Hi.

When the wing clamps are in raised position, they are substantially above the surface of the blank advanced over the horn. When the clamps swing down-- war-dly, the inner edges l I l of the forming plates 5 iii come into contact with the blank ends closely outside of the rounded side edges of the horn and they force the blank ends downwardly and inwardly about these edges. The shoes then move almost directly inwardly, as noted by the dotted line positions thereof in Figure 5, and thus the ends of the blanks are caused to be overlapped. It will. be mentioned here that the movement of the clamps til is slightly in advance of the other The upper frame portions of these clamp 48 so as to place the outwardly facing hook 55 of the can blank beneath the hook 86 which is inturned.

After the ends of the clamping shoes 98 have bent the blank ends downwardly about the edges of the horn and to bend the blank smoothly and evenly. aboutth'ese sharply rounded edges without leaving any looseness of material.

The action ,of the clamping yoke 35 is timed withrespect to, the action of the wing clamps by a connection best shown in Figure 5, wherein I I designates a rod which is connected slidably at its lower endt'opthe yokes by a nut HG. At its upper end the rod H5 connects pivotally as at III to a lever I I8. Lever H8 is pivotally fixed by a bolt I i9 at one end to'the frame 5, and at its, otherendi's connected by a link I20 with the lever 43 which controls movement of the wing clamps 405., This connection provides that when the lever 43 moves upwardly it lifts the clamp 35. When it moves downwardly, it actuates the clamp. downwardly, slightly in advance of the wing clamp, through the medium of a coiled spring I25 that is located about the rod I I5 betweena collar I26 fixed thereon and the top of the yoke.

With the various parts "so constructed and arranged, the operation of the machine, briefly described, is as follows 4 The can body blanks '2 are advanced in proper Spacing along the machine, past the notching and hook forming stations and are finally delivered directly over the horn I, and are here clamped and held, by. the slight upward movement of the horn, against the cross bar 8, Then,

the clamp'yoke 35 movesdownwardly against the central top surface of the blank to form it to the top surface of the horn. Coincident with this operation, the wing clamps ift-40 are actuated expander plate to move inwardly thereby releasing the body for delivery from the horn by the push finger 3' on the feed slide 69.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a can body forming machine, a horn having substantially flat opposite faces merging in sharply rounded opposite side edges, an abutment spaced from one'face of the horn lengthwise thereof, means for positioning a body blank between the horn and abutment, means for effecting relative movement of the horn and abutment to grip the blank between them, a

,clamp operable against the blank to shape it to the adjacent face of the horn, and a pair of wing clamps operable against opposite end portions of the blank to first bend them snugly about the horn edges and then to form them to the other face of the horn in overlapped relation for seaming.

2. In a can body forming machine, a horn having substantially flat opposite faces mergng in sharplyg rounded opposite, side edges, a fixed abutment bar centrally disposed lengthwise of the horn and slightly spaced therefrom, means for positioning a body blank between the horn and bar, means for moving the horn toward the bar to grip the blank between them, a clamp shoe shaped to fit the born at opposite sides of the bar and movable against the blank to shape it to that face of the horn, and a pair of wing clamps operable against the opposite end D01- tions of the blank to first bend them snugly about the horn edges and then to form them to the other face of the horn in overlapped relation for seaming, and a bumper operable against the overlapped portions of the blank to join them in a seam.

3. In a can body forming machine, a horn having substantially flat opposite faces merging in sharply rounded opposite side edges, means for positioning a body blank formed with opposite end hooks across one face of the horn, means for engaging the blank along a line medially of its ends for clamping it against the horn, other means movable against the blank to shape it to that face of the horn, a pair cf wing clamps movable against opposite end portions of the blank to bend them tightly about the horn edges and to form them to its other face with their hooked ends overlapped, an expander plate within the horn to project from one edge thereof and movable against the blank to effect the interconnection of hooked ends thereof and a bumper operable against the ends when interconnected to close them together in a permanent seam.

4:. In a body forming machine, a forming horn having slightly convex upper and lower faces merging in sharply rounded opposite side edges, means for positioning a can blank across the upper surface of the horn, means engageable with the blank along a transverse line medially of its ends to clarnp it against the adjacent side of the horn along a medial line, a clamp movable against the blank to shape it to that surface, and a pair of swingingly mounted wing clamps movable downwardly and inwardly against opposite end portions of the blank to close them about the horn; said wing clamps having yieldably mounted end shoes arranged to initially engage the blank end portions closely outside the side edges of the horn to bend them downwardly and inwardly about said edges, then to maintain an inward pressure against said end portions as the clamps swing inwardly, thus to shape the said end portions to the under surface of the horn and to bring them into overlapped relation for seaming.

5. In a can body formingmachine, a forming horn having substantially flat opposite faces merging'in sharply rounded opposite side edges, means for feeding body blanks, with end hooks, to the horn, a'clamp shoe operable against the blanks as delivered to the horn to form them to one face thereof, a pair of swingingly movable wing clamps, means for actuating them against the opposite end portions of a clamped blank to form them'about the horn in overlapped rela tion said actuating means including a yielding connection to said clamp shoe for operating said clamp shoe in advance of contact of the wings with the blank ends, an expander plate slidably contained in the horn, and exposed at one edge thereof, means operable to functionally move the plate to effect the interconnection of the hooked ends of the blank, and a bumper operable against the interconnected ends to join them in a permanent seam.

bar to shape it to that face of the horn, a pair of wing clamps operable against the opposite end portions of the blank to shape them about the edges of the horn and to the other face thereof, with ends overlapped for seaming and a bumper operable against the overlapped portions to join them together.

7. In a can body forming machine, a forming horn having substantially flat opposite faces merging in sharply rounded edges, a bracket fixed above the horn, an abutment bar mounted in the bracket centrally above and longitudinally of the horn, a movable support for the horn, reciprocating feed mechanism for delivering can blanks to the horn, means for shifting the horn support to clamp the blanks as delivered between the horn and'abutment bar, a clamp shoe slidable in the bracket and adjustable against the blankto shape it to the upper face of the horn, a pair of wing clamps swingingly mounted by the bracket and movable against the opposite end portions of the blank to bend them about the horn edges and to shape them to the under face of the horn, actuating means for the wing clamps, and actuating means for the clamp shoe operated by the wing clamp mechanism and including a' yieldable member whereby the clamp shoe is actuated against the blank in advance of the wing clamps.

8. In a can body forming machine, a substantially flat horn across a face of which a can body blank may be positioned with its opposite ends extended beyond the side edges of the horn, a clamp movable against a blank so positioned to form it to that surface of the horn, a pair of swingingly mounted wing clamps, means for actuating the clamps; said clamps having pivotally mounted shoes at their ends adapted, on actuation of the clamps, to engage the extended ends of the body blank closely outside the side edges of the horn, to bend them inwardly and tightly about the said edges, then to move inwardly therealong to cause their ends to be overlapped for seaming, and yieldable means mounted by the clamps and acting against the shoes to hold them tightly in contact with the blank ends as they move inwardly therealong.

9. In a can body forming machine, a substantially flat horn with sharply rounded opposite side edges, means for positioning a body blank across a fiat surface of the horn with its opposite ends extended beyond opposite side edges of the horn, a pair of wing clamps pivotally supported from points at that side of the horn across which the blank is disposed and, respectively, closer to the side edges of the horn than to the central longitudinal line of the other surface of the horn, means for actuating said clamps against opposite end portions of the blank to close them about the horn; said clamps comprising 'pivotally mounted shoe 1 at their ends side edges, an abutment adapted to make line contact with said blank for clamping it against the shoe, a, clamp shoe movable against the blank to form it to the adjacent flat surface of the horn, a pair of wing clamps, means operable to actuate the wing clamps against the opposite end portions of the blank to shape them about the horn in overlapped relation for seaming and means operatively connected with the actuating means for the wing clamps for actuating the clamp shoe including a yielding connection whereby said clamp shoe may be actuated to clamp the blank prior to the contact of the wing clamps with the blank ends.

NELSON TROYER.

MERTON L. DODGE 

